Oklahoma City, Oklahoma--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2026) - When the global energy industry gathers, the questions are rarely small. How will the world meet rising electricity demand in an AI-driven economy? What kind of workforce will be needed as intelligent systems take over routine tasks? Which energy technologies are ready to scale, and what financing models will move them forward?
In March, two Oklahoma State University students entered those conversations firsthand.
Malte Kuhn and Loïc Bethel Djé were selected for the NextGen program at CERAWeek 2026, the annual Houston-based conference that brings together leaders from across the global energy economy. More than 10,000 participants attended this year's event, including chief executives, government ministers, investors, researchers and policy leaders representing every major segment of the energy sector.
Widely regarded as one of the industry's most influential gatherings, CERAWeek offers a rare forum where the future of energy is debated in real time by the people helping shape it.
The NextGen program is designed for students prepared to do more than observe. It brings together emerging leaders with the technical grounding, ambition, and curiosity to engage directly with practitioners and decision-makers. In 2025, the program drew applicants from leading institutions including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, Yale, Oxford and Harvard. OSU earned two places in the 2026 cohort.
Although Kuhn and Bethel Djé attended the same conference, they returned with distinct insights shaped by their academic paths, research interests and professional goals. What they shared was a clearer understanding of where the energy sector is headed, what challenges lie ahead, and what the next generation must bring to meet them.
Kuhn, a senior in industrial engineering and management with a minor in petroleum engineering, is nearing completion of his undergraduate degree. He described CERAWeek as a defining experience, not because it changed his interest in energy, but because it sharpened his understanding of how quickly the sector is evolving.
The conference theme, "Convergence and Competition," captured what he saw throughout the week: energy and technology are no longer separate domains operating in parallel. They are becoming increasingly interdependent, with immediate implications. Across multiple sessions, Kuhn heard leaders wrestle with the pressures this convergence is creating, particularly around reliability, power demand and the infrastructure required to support both.
He returned to Stillwater with a stronger conviction that energy policy must remain anchored in system performance and economic reality.
"Energy must be guided but cannot be controlled by politics," Kuhn said. "Keeping the focus on resiliency and economic viability, instead of restricting some energy sources over others due to narratives, will allow us to overcome the challenges society is facing through the growth of AI and the increase in electricity demands."
For Kuhn, that perspective came into sharper focus during a geothermal session titled, "Geothermal: How Quickly Will It Scale?" The panel brought together industry leaders for a practical discussion of the technology's potential and its limits. What stood out most, he said, were the conversations that followed.
"Follow-up conversations upon conclusion of the session allowed a deeper look into the necessary financial structures that have the potential of pushing geothermal beyond its inflection point between R&D and full commercialization," he said.
That insight highlighted a reality that often determines whether promising technologies advance: technical viability alone is not enough. Commercialization also depends on financing, risk tolerance and the ability to bridge the gap between research and deployment. For Kuhn, CERAWeek offered direct exposure to those practitioner-level conversations in a way few classroom settings can.
The experience also broadened his view of the workforce that will shape the future of energy.
"Agentic AI will allow businesses to accelerate workflows and transfer their workforce to solve problems that we may not even be aware of facing at this time," he said. "This underlined my understanding that it's even more crucial than ever to continue learning and stay on top of the innovation curve."
Bethel Djé came to CERAWeek from a different academic and professional position. A Ph.D. candidate in petroleum engineering in OSU's School of Chemical Engineering, he expects to complete his doctorate in 2026. His role at the conference extended beyond attendance. He moderated a NextGen panel on "What the Future Workforce Needs from Employers," facilitating a discussion between emerging researchers and senior industry leaders about how organizations must adapt to meet the demands of a changing energy landscape. He also presented his own research.
That research sits at the intersection of carbon capture, geothermal science and materials engineering. His work examines the use of supercritical CO2 as a tracer for carbon capture and storage in shale formations, including the Caney formation. It investigates geochemical reactions between CO2 and granite relevant to geothermal systems. These findings inform the development of intelligent cement systems for energy infrastructure, with potential applications that support both expanded energy production and long-term sustainability.
CERAWeek placed that work in front of an audience with direct stakes in its implications.
Among the sessions that Bethel Djé said left the strongest impression was the "Future Energy Leaders Spotlight," which featured former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, Microsoft's Darryl Willis, University of Houston President Renu Khator and Georgia Campbell of Greentown Labs.
The discussion ranged across leadership, innovation and the qualities required to navigate a rapidly changing sector. From that session, Bethel Djé drew several conclusions: innovation often emerges from unexpected conversations, leaders must remain committed to learning, and humility and adaptability are not optional traits, but essential ones.
He also participated in discussions on Africa's energy future and connected with organizations such as Project InnerSpace. Those conversations did not change his direction as much as they clarified it. His long-term goal is to work at the intersection of academia, industry and policy, with a particular interest in advancing energy development in emerging regions.
"Stay human. Be the human in the lead in an AI-accelerated world, not just a human in the loop," he said, reflecting on the experience.
The distinction is significant. To remain in the loop is to participate in a system. To lead is to apply judgment, build trust, and carry purpose in ways that technology cannot replace. As the energy sector continues to integrate AI into technical and operational work, Bethel Djé sees human leadership, not just human oversight, as the differentiator.
He also emphasized the importance of the academic community supporting his work, including his advisors, Dr. Mileva Radonjic and Ali Ettehadi, his colleagues in OSU's Barrier and Geomimicry Lab, and the broader department that has shaped his development as a researcher.
"CERAWeek affirmed that I am positioned at the right intersection of timing, purpose and impact," he said.
PHOTOS: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCPsco
MEDIA CONTACT: Dara McBee | Hamm Institute for American Energy | 580-350-7248 | dmcbee@hamminstitute.org
About Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma State University is a premier land-grant university that prepares students for success. Through teaching, research and Extension, OSU engages communities and empowers servant-leaders to meet society's most pressing challenges. OSU is the largest university system in Oklahoma and has more than 36,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 27,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and more than 127 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 300,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.
About Hamm Instittue for American Energy
The Hamm Institute for American Energy at Oklahoma State University works to secure abundant, reliable and affordable energy for the United States and its allies. Through research and strategic convenings, the institute brings together leaders from industry, government, finance and academia to solve practical challenges across oil and natural gas, nuclear, and other firm power sources, with a growing focus on the demands of AI and advanced manufacturing
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Source: Hamm Institute for American Energy
